President Gerald Ford defends the “Halloween Massacre” on MTP

The Sunday after the Ford Administration’s famous “Halloween Massacre” – when several prominent cabinet members were abruptly dismissed – President Gerald Ford appeared on Meet the Press to explain his shakeup. The panel pressed him on the dismissal of Defense Secretary James Schlesinger in particular, who was replaced with Donald Rumsfeld. On Meet the Press two weeks later, Schlesinger discussed his dismissal and caused some discomfort in the Ford White House by refusing to give a direct endorsement of the President’s re-election.